Hame-fastener.



PAUL W. NAPIERALA, or DETROIT, MINNESOTA.

HAME-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed January 7, 1907. Serial No. 351,149.

To all whom'it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL W. NAPIERALA, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Detroit, in the county of Becker and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Harrie-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in hame fasteners and more particularly to a fastener for the top of the hame and my object is to rovide means for securing the ufpper ends of posite sides 0 the collar and in position to prevent the collar from pinching or otherwise injuring the neck of the animal.

A further object is to provide means for adjustably securing the hames to the collar.

A still further object is to rovide means for holding the separated on s of the collar in a closed Clposition and'a still further object applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a buckle used In my improved fastener. Fig. 3 is a modified form of buckle. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connecting strap, and Fig. 5 is a section of a hame showing the form of eye as used with the buckle shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indi cates the hames, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction and ada ted i to be secured together at their lower en s in any preferred manner, while the upper ends of said hames are rovided with eyes 2, and 3 indicates the col ar to which the hames are to be secured, said collar being constructed in the usual manner and separated atits upper end, so that the ends of the collar may be readily moved apart'to-remove the collar from the neck of the animal.

Secured to the collar 3 in any preferred manner, as b means of loops 4, are buckles 5, said buc es being located adjacent the separated ends of the collar and having curved portions 6 adjacent their upper ends, which curved portions terminate in a cross the hames to op bar 7, said bar being entered through the loo 4 to retain the buckle in place on the parallel with the bar 7, is a cross bar 7 at the longitudinal center of which is formed a curved tongue 8, while at the lower end of the buckle is formed a cross bar8 which is likewise parallel with the bars 7 and 7.

Secured to the cross bar 8, is a stem 9, which is provided at its outer end with a lateral extension 9*, said extension being substantially at right angles to the axis of the stem, while the outer end of the extension terminates in a terminal 10, the free end of which is curved upwardly and out of alinement with the stem 9, the stem and extension forming a hook, which is adapted to engage an eye in the hames respectively and removably secure the hames to the collar, the curved end of the terminal 10 extending out of alinement with the eyes and preventing the hames from casually leaving the hooks.

In order to secure the upper ends of the collar 3 together, after the collar has been placed in position on the neck of the animal,

provide a strap 14, which may be constructed in any preferred manner and of any suitable width, the opposite ends of said straps being provided with a plurality of openings 15, which are adapted to be engaged by the tongues 8 of the buckles, the longitudinal center of the strap being located centrallv over the neck of the animal, whereby, when the ends of the collar are drawn together, they will move towards each other in unison, thereby equalizing the pressure of the collar on opposite sides of the neck of the animal.

By securing the hames to the buckles at the upper end of the collar, the drawing together of the lower ends of the'hames will give an outward pull to the upper ends of the hames, thereby leaving the u per end of the collar free from pressure an snugly fitting the neck of the animal, thus obviating any abrasions at the point where the collar extends over the neck of the animal.

That portion of the strap 14 extending immediately over the meeting point of the ends of the collar, may be made any desired width and is preferably of such a width as to form a shield for the collar at this point and, thereby, prevent Water or snow from coming in contact with the neck of the animal immediately below the meeting ends of the collar.

In assembling the parts together, the end of the strap 14 is placed over the cross bars 7 and below the cross bars 8 the hooks 8 on the cross bars 7 being entered through one of the openings 15 in the end of the strap and, by swinging the buckles upwardly, the ends of the collar may be separated a sufli= cient distance to allow the collar to freely pass over the head of the animal and onto its neck and after the collar has been properly placed in position, the buckles are swung downwardly and the ends of the collar drawn together, when the extension 9 of the hooks and terminals 10 thereon are introduced through the eyes 2 on the hames and the lower ends of the hames then secured together and, if it is found that the collar does not exactly fit the neck of the animal, the tongues 8 may be introduced into different holes in the strap 14, the adjustment being such that the collar may be made to fit the necks of different animals.

In attaching the hames to the hooks, the lower ends of the hames are swung outwardly until the eyes in the hames are in position to receive the terminals 10, the eyes being of suflicient width to allow the terminal and its curved end to pass and, by moving the hames inwardly, the terminals pass through the eyes and beyond the forward face of the hames when, by moving the lower ends of the hames inwardly, the curved portions of the terminals are moved out of alinement with the eyes, and, thereby, preventing the casual removal of the hames until the eyes are again brought in registration with the terminals.

In some instances, instead of forming the extension 9 at right angles to the stem 9 and providing the terminal therefor, the terminal may be dispensed with and the extension curved upwardly and rearwardly over the stem 9 and, when this form of hook is provided, the eyes are placed on the inner face of the hame and said eyes are formed by providing cavities 11 on the inner face of the hame, over which is secured plates 12, said plates having openings therein, across which extend bars 13, the hooks on the buckles being adapted to engage said bar and secure the hames to the buckles. This form of buckle is also employed in connection with the usual form of iron hames, having loops at their upper ends for receiving straps.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very cheap and economical means for holding the upper ends of the hames in engagement with the collar and that the hames may be adjusted thereon as desired. It will further be seen that I have provided means for holding the collar in position on the neck of an animal without causing the collar to bind the neck of the animal or otherwise cause abrasions thereon and it will likewise be seen that said collar may be readily removed without completely releasing the upper ends thereof and, by limiting the separated or outward movement of the upper ends of the collar, said collar will not become broken or torn apart at its lower end.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hame having an eye on one face thereof; of a collar, buckles secured to said collar, said buckles each having a hook at the lower end thereof adapted to engage the eye on the hame and a strap having openings therein adapted to be engaged by tongues on said buckles, whereby said parts will be secured together.

2. In a hame fastener, the combination with a collar having buckles secured thereto, said buckles having tongues thereon and hooks at the lower ends thereof; of hames having eyes thereon adapted to be engaged by said hooks and a strap adapted to be passed over said collar, said strap having openings therein adapted to be engaged by the tongues on said buckles, whereby said parts will be secured together.

3. In a hame fastener, the combination with a collar having buckles secured thereto, said. buckles having downwardly curved tongues midway of the body and upwardly curved hooks at the lower ends thereof of a hame having means thereon adapted to be engaged by said hooks and a strap adapted to pass over the collar, said strap having openings therein adapted to be engaged by the tongues on the buckles, whereby said hame will be securely fastened.

4. In a hame attachment, the combination with a collar, of buckles hingedly secured. thereto, curved tongues 011 said buckles, means extending between said buckles adapted to engage said tongues and secure the ends of the collar together, hames for said collar and means extending from the buckles adapted to engage said hames and hold the same in position on the collar.

5. The combination with a collar; of buckles pivotally mounted on said collar, curved tongues on the buckles, a strap extended between the buckles, said strap having openings therein to engage said tongues and hold the collar in its closed position, hames for said collar and means to removably attach the hames to the buckles.

6. In a hame fastener, the combination with a collar; of buckles secured to said collar, a strap extending over the upper ends of the collar and having a plurality of openings therein, means on the buckles adapted to enter said openings and hold the collar in a closed position when the buckles are adjusted in one position and limit the outward movement of the ends of the collar when the buckles are turned. in opposite positions,

hames for said collar and means 'on the port the harnes on the collar and means at buckles to engage and removably secure said the outer ends of said hooks to prevent the 10 hame? therflto. I f r h b casual removal of the hames from the hooks.

7. n a ame astener t e com ination 5 with a collar; of hames adapted to fit said NAPIERALA- collar, each hame having an eye thereon, Witnesses: buckles secured to said collar, hooks on said DANIEL DE LURY,

buckles adapted to entersaid eyes and sup- PETER F. SOHROEDER. 

